To hold a funeral and mourn one who has passed away is an important ritual in the lives of the Chinese. In ancient China, there were detailed rules for such rites, based on the relations between the mourner and the deceased, such as the length of mourning, dress code, and the specific procedures to pay last respects to the deceased. By observing such rites, people expressed their grief over and love for the deceased. At the same time, mourning rites also served to control mourners' excessive grief, so as not to affect their health. Rites for mourners differed according to their relations with the deceased and represented the ancient people's understanding of the norms governing human relations. Today, both the form of mourning and the human relations reflected in such rites have changed along with changes in social customs.

Lin Fang asked Confucius about the essential meaning of ritual ceremonies. Confucius replied, "What you ask is a big question. For rites, it is always desirable to be simple rather than excessive. In the case of mourning, such rites should be determined by degree of grief rather than by overconsideration of rituals." (The Analects)

Why should the mourning period for one's parents last for three years? The answer is that it is based on the degree of the mourner's grief. Such a rule,which determines the order of human relations and differentiates the closeness between people and their social positions, should not be altered by cutting it short or extending it longer at will. (The Book of Rites)